Iraq - IOM and Iraq’s Ministry of Interior have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on expanding and strengthening Iraq’s community policing programme.

Since 2003, building a modern and professional police service that upholds human rights has remained among Iraq’s most complex and pressing challenges and, today, public confidence in the police still needs to be strengthened.

“The partnership between IOM and the ministry aims to expand communication between the police and communities to promote mutual trust and encourage civic engagement in crime prevention and detection,” says IOM Iraq Chief of Mission Michael Pillinger.

IOM and the ministry will work together to assess community perceptions of security and police knowledge of community policing; organize local-level activities, including community policing fora, to promote dialogue and information-sharing between police and communities; and design, deliver and institutionalize context-specific, practical training on community policing.

“This agreement demonstrates the ministry’s admirable commitment to promoting community policing as an organizational and operational strategy to advance Iraq’s long-term security goals,” notes Pillinger.

The two parties signed the MoU within the framework of the IOM project: “Promoting Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Iraq through Enhanced Cooperation between Police and Communities,” funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor.

The project aims to support the overall effort to advance democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Iraq by promoting democratic governance in the security sector.

For further information, please contact

Siobhan Simojoki
IOM Iraq
Tel: + 962 (0) 799938778 or + 964 (0) 7826504199
Email: ssimojoki@iom.int